2012 NFL Fantasy Football Week 14: Flex Play Rankings / Projections

After struggling through the first half of the season to pick up the team's new zone-blocking scheme, Darren McFadden suffered another injury, and for the fifth year in a row, McFadden will now have missed at least four games.

It just so happens that McFadden has only played five seasons in the league, so fantasy owners who drafted him this summer should have known the risk in taking him as a high round draft pick.

If you happen to be one of the lucky fantasy owners that has survived McFadden’s bust season and still made the playoffs, this could be the time to cash in on what you hoped for all year.

While we don’t know what his workload with be this Thursday, it appears we should count on McFadden to be active against the Broncos. McFadden has a good track record against the Broncos over the history throughout his career, but it’s his matchups in the coming weeks that I find most interesting.

Next week McFadden plays the Chiefs, and in the fantasy Super Bowl weekend he plays the Panthers. As long as McFadden can get through this weeks game healthy, we should expect good things in the final weeks. For this week, consider McFadden no more than a flex play with upside.

Panthers Run Game

While Mike Tolbert and Cam Newton all but make DeAngelo Williams' odds of red-zone touchdowns a wash, we know the veteran can strike from a distance. Williams should touch the football 12 or more times a week as long as Jonathan Stewart is out, and this week Williams faces a Falcons team he’s played well against over his career.

Like McFadden, if Williams maintains the starting job we should target his matchup against the Raiders Super Bowl weekend. This week against Atlanta, Williams makes for a respectable flex play, but just know you’re rolling the dice on him making a big play to come through.